<\/p>\n
Ko held her nerve with a final-round two-under-par 70 on Sunday to finish two shots clear of Ireland’s Leona Maguire (72).<\/p>\n
The victory clinched Player of the Year honours for Ko and also the biggest cheque in women’s golf history.<\/p>\n
Ko’s $US2 million ($A3m) pay day took her season earnings to $US4,364,403 ($A6.6m), leaving the New Zealander to also win the season-long money list.<\/p>\n
Lee finished second in both the Player of the Year and money race in 2022 after fading to a tie for 33rd in Naples with a closing with a five-over 77.<\/p>\n
Australia’s World No.5 bogeyed six of her last 10 holes in her worst finish of a sapping season.<\/p>\n
Lee had the chance to be crowned player of the year if she finished in the top-10 and above Ko in the last event of the LPGA season.<\/p>\n
Instead, the 26-year-old ended the tournament 16 shots behind Ko, who also claimed the Vare Trophy for best scoring average for the second consecutive season and second time in her career.<\/p>\n
Lee, though, still ended her own stellar season with the Annika Major Award for major player of the year following her commanding U.S. Women\u2019s Open triumph in June and also pocketed a cheque for $US1 million ($A1.5m) as the AON Risk Reward Challenge winner.<\/p>\n
But the Sunday spoils were all for Ko, who choked up after holing out at the last to claim her first player-of-the-year award since 2015.<\/p>\n
“There was a lot of things on the line today,” Ko said.<\/p>\n
“I really wanted to play the best golf I can. I knew it would be a tough battle, especially with how tough the conditions were.”<\/p>\n
With three victories, plus nine additional top-5s in 2022, the former teenage prodigy also posted her first multiple-win season since 2016 to edge ever closer to a seemingly inevitable place in the LPGA Hall of Fame.<\/p>\n
Ko would also have regained the top ranking if World No.1 Nelly Korda finished outside the top-20.<\/p>\n
But the American tied for 10th at eight-under after closing with a 70.<\/p>\n
Still, Ko headed for the off-season with plans to get married feeling blissfully content as World No.2.<\/p>\n
“This is my last tournament as a single lady,” she said with a laugh at the trophy presentation.<\/p>\n
Hannah Green, the only other Australian in the elite 60-player field for the season finale, tied for 33rd with Lee at one-under following a final-round 71.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
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